Philadelphia Phillies
The fancied Phillies got their season and this series underway with a solid 10-4 win on Friday. Rhys Hoskins and Maikel Franco did the damage offensively, combining for 7 RBI where Bryce Harper didn’t have a single hit. Aaron Nola was unsurprisingly effective on the mound, allowing just 1 earned run in his 6 innings pitched.
Atlanta Braves
Whilst the Braves are definitely a solid lineup, things couldn’t have started much worse for them this season. They did admittedly show some life offensively, scoring on the Philly relievers to make the score more respectable. Their bullpen needs definite improvements, with Luke Jackson and Shane Carle allowing a combined 7 runs.
Prediction: Phillies $1.65
Philly are one of the premier teams in baseball and Nick Pivetta is a very solid starting pitcher. The Phillies offence got off to a flyer last time out and should continue exploiting the Atlanta bullpen. Expect another comfortable home win as they move to 2-0.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners continued their strong start to the campaign with an impressive 12-4 win in this series opener on Friday. Domingo Santana and Tim Beckham were the 2 key men, combining for a very impressive 7 RBI. Their pitching could admittedly improve somewhat, but this is a fantastic start to the campaign.
Boston Red Sox
With all the pre-season hype, you’d be hard pressed to imagine a worse start to the season for Boston. They struggled mightily offensively, with Benintendi the only player to have multiple RBI. Even the usually reliable Chris Sale was out of sorts, allowing 7 earned runs in just 3 innings.
Prediction: Red Sox $1.65
I think Friday’s disaster was definitely a one-off for this Red Sox side. They’re a deep and talented roster who should be competing deep in the playoffs. With the conistent Venezuelan Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound, I expect a gritty road win here.
Los Angeles Dodgers
It was business as usual for the formidable Dodgers in their first encounter, opening the series with a 12-5 home win. Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez led a dominant day offensively, combining for 7 RBI in this one. Hyun-Jin Ryu looked at his best from a pitching perspective, allowing 1 run through 6 innings.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On the contrary, things couldn’t have gotten off to a much worse start for the D-Backs. Christian Walker was the only man who could get things going offensively, contributing a solid 2 RBI. It certainly wasn’t the best day at the office for Zack Greinke, who allowed 7 earned runs through 3.2 innings.
Prediction: Dodgers $1.55
The Dodgers have been the premier NL side in recent seasons, a trend which I expect to continue here. They’ve got a deep and versatile offence which I expect to succeed against the inconsistent pitching of Zack Godley. With the strong Kenta Maeda on the mound tonight, expect another comfortable home win for LA.